Bearing bracket for hydrogencooled generators



BEARING BRACKET FOR HYDROGEN-COOLED GENERATORS Feb. 17, 1948 C. C. STERRETT Apri 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed INVENTOR Char/as C. fife/veil.

ATTORNEY April 18, 1950 c. c. STERRETT BEARING BRACKET FOR HYDROGEN-COOLED GENERATORS Filed Feb. 1'7, 1948 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 I 6 g 4 ///////////w///// J r,

INVENTOR Char/es (Z Sierra-fit.

ATTORNEY April 18, 1950 c. c. STERRETT 2,504,899

BEARING BRACKET FOR HYDROGEN-COOLED GENERATORS Filed Feb. 17, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet s fiatented Apr. 18, 1950 BEARING BRACKET FOR HYDROGEN COOLED GENERATORS Charles C. Sterrett, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse'Electric Corporation, East Pitts burgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 17, 1948, Serial.No. 8,888

My invention relates to hydrogen-cooled turbine-generators having either one or both of their bearing-brackets constructed with a hydrogendefoaming tank therein.

A hydrogen-cooled turbine-generator requires an oil-seal, located inside of the bearings, to maintain the seal between the hydrogen-compartment and the outer-air zones. The bearing and seal-oil feeds are separate, as are also the respective drains. In fact, there are three separate drains, one from the two ends of the bearing, one from the air-side of the seal, and one from the. hydrogen-side of the-seal.

The oil leaving the bearings is foaming, and it is usual to provide a sump. in which most of the air-bubbles may escape to the surface of this'oil, and break. It is desirable for this defoaming-sump to have a large exposed oil-surface to facilitate the defoaming function, thus permitting the use of. smaller drain-lines, for the recirculating oil-system, than would be required if the foaming oil were fed directly to the drain-line, This defoaming of the bearing-oil, after it leaves the bearing, also provides a more nearly constant oil-flow, because the drain-line is subjected to less air-bubbling and air-binding.

It has also been known that the air-side seal oil drain-means should have some sort of drainchamber or sump of suflicient size to provide for at least partially defoamin the sealing-oil therein. However, the oilfiow out of the air-sid of the oil-seal is considerably smaller than the oilflow through the bearing, so that a considerably smaller sump may be used in the air-side sealingoil drain-system.

It has further been known that the hydrogensidejseal-oil drain-means requires a sump similar to the two drains already mentioned, except that it should be more efficient in its defoaming function, because the hydrogen-side seal-oil has come into very intimate contact with the hydrogen which fills the generator-housing, and thus this oil has absorbed a considerable amount of hydrogen. Proper defoaming-action will remove a large amount of this absorbed hydrogen and return it to the generator, rather than allowing it to pass, with the oil, down the drain-line. It is necessary, therefore, that the hydrogen-side defoaming-tank shall have a capacity sufiicient to contain a large volume of oil, and should also provide a large horizontal exposed oil-surface at which the hydrogen-bubbles may break.

"'JFor many years heretofore-,j. the provision of the various defoaming operations outlined above has necessitated a considerable amount of vent- 4 Claims. (CI. 30.8-46.3)

2 piping and drain-piping connected externally to the bracket.

'An'object of my present invention is to provide a new type of bracket-design, requiring considerable modification of the bracket, but using space which would not otherwise have been used, and incorporating, in this space, a hydrogen-deioaming tank which meets the previously outlined re-:

quirements for such a tank, while being confined in a hollow space between the outside and his side walls of the bearing-bracket. This construction saves a great'deal of previously required:

piping, it automatically partially cools the hydrogen-side seal-oil, because said oil leaves the seal at a temperature of approximately 75 0., whereas the inner'wall of the bracket is in con.- tact with the hydrogen which circulates within the machine-housing, at a temperature less than 40 C.

A more specific object of my invention is to from above the floor-line of a horizontal-shaft hydrogen-cooled turbine-generator or like ma chine. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in the systems, combinations, structures, parts, and methods of design.

view, approximately on the plane indicated by the line II of Fig. 1, showing both the bearing-oil inlet-means and the seal-oil inlet-means; Fig. 3 being a partial sectional view, approximately on the section-line III of Fig. 'l, showingthe drainme'ans' for the air-side seal-oil; Fig. 4 being. a partial sectional view, approximately on the line IV of Fig. 1, showing the bearing-oil drain-system, and also showing the draining-means for the hydrogen-defoaming tank; and Fig. 5 being a partial sectional view, showing somewhat more of the bearing-bracket, on a section-plane approximately indicated at V in Fig.1, showing the drain-means from'the hydrogen-side of the seal to the hydrogen-defoaming tank, I

a machine is illustrated as a hydrogen-cooled generator having a stator (Fig. 1) and a rotor 5:

(Fig. 5), these generator-parts being included within the hydrogen-filled housing i, whichalso includes one or more coolers I (Fig. 1) for cooling the hydrogen which is: recirculated within.

the machine, as by means of fans 8.. (Fig. 5) located on the shaft 9 at each endof-"the rotor 6, within the housing I. The shaftfl is disposed.

substantially horizontally, and is rotatably journalled in the bearing 4, through which the sha-ft extends from the inside-to the outside of the housing; I

As is usual in such machines, a g-land seal structure I I- (Fig: 5) is provided, being illustrated:as;b.eing-secured totheginside of the bearingbracket 2 imposition to: provide an oil-tight land-seal lzrwhichv surrounds the shaft at a point-on theshydrogen-sideof the bearings. This glandeseal providesxfor 3/". circulation of oil from thez-center ot the: seal, where it surroundsvthe shaft; with the oiljmoving'inboth" directions along: the'shaft, that is; both-toward the air-end ofs the seal and. toward the:.hydrogen-end or the seal, as is known intheart:

Iil'havezillustrated my invention in connection with a largemachine, the lowermost portions of which extend down-into a:pit'.|3 (Fig; 1) which isprovided under the. fioore-level M, the machine; being supported; on. feet i.5' whichrestzon the" floor.

AS SHOWDiiII Fig. 1, the several inlet andidrain openingsand connectionsare provided" in.the bearing-bracket .2 at: a; level which; is; above the:

noon-level It; or at aalevelwhich is readily ace cessible: from thejfioor-level It being; all grouped imthe-portionof'the bracket which i's-below the bearing 4:

:. As shown; more'parti'cularly: inFig. 2,. I provide a hearing-oil inlet-means I 6', which .is; connected DOiI'ltfl it is. distributed in both. directions. along-1 the shait, and around; the bearing; to :.-lulc'ricate the bearing, Fig;:.2. also; shows ensealieoiljnletmeans; 20,1 which connected byapipe .2 l toalower portion of :the bottom half: of the; glandseal structure. ll, fromwhich point suitably drilled holes 22carry-this oil up to an annular chamber 23 surrounding .the seal l2; From the chamber 23 theoilenters: through. the seal; to. the surface of-the shaft, and then divides, flow.- ing in opposite: directionszalong. the shaft tothelrespective ends of the-seal.

Asshown in the-several sectionalfviews; par? ticularly Figs. 3, 4- and .5; my bearing-bracket 2 is: specially constructed; particularly in the ,portion .underneath the hearing. 4; so as to provide various. drain-means: and? defoaming-tanks or sumps: To. this end, this .portionofpthe bearingbracket; 2.. is made hollow.- with. a.. hollow space 24:..(Flig's; 4 and35), providedbetween thenutside and inside walls-25.; and; 2.61mi; theibracketi ima mediately below thebraeketepprtion: which; pro.- vides the bearing-receiving Opening 3. This hol- 10w space 24 is subdivided into various chambers (two of which are interconnected), by means of a vertical wall or partition 21 (Fig. 1) extending from the top to the bottom of the hollow space 24, and a shelf-like partition or horizontal wall 28. (Fig. 1), the position of which ,is...more clearly indicated in Fig. l. for providing a smaller compartment or tank 29 (Fig. 4) in the top portion of..the hollow space 24, and beneath the underside of the bearing or bearing-receiving opening 3, this. smaller compartment or tank extending partway up around under the bearing, at one side. otthe lowermost point 39 (Fig. 1) 01 the bearing,

This-.-smaller,compartment or tank 29 is thus bounded, on the top, by the portions of the 'bracket' which provide the bearing-receiving opening 3, the upper portion of the vertical wall 21. the shelf-like partition 23, and the outer and inner walls 25 and 26 of the bearing-bracket 2.. Inacoordance' withmy invention, I use this.

smaller compartment or tank 28' as a: defoaming= sump, which is a partof the bearing oildralm means, as shown more particularly in-Fig. .4. The

oil which is discharged from-the two ends of the lower en'dof an. oil-separator ring 34" which ismounted on the; inner; endioffthebearin 4, so-

as to surround=the s haft"9 atazpoint between the inner end of the.baring-dandihe' air sideend; o'f the gland seal l2: The-'frontoroutside a wall '25I0fjthe" bracket is'provided with a bearing;

oil drain-connection 35 which is in-co m nunicae tio withthe bottom portion ofthe defoaining sump 29, for draining the bearing-oiltherefrom;

As shownimore iii-detail irrFig. 3; a separate drain-means isprovidedior theair' sides'ealingoil.'. To this end, the-space betweentlie .oil sepa ratori ringj 34, itsbafil'e 32,, and 1 the gland-seal structure, l.l, underneath' theshaft 9, constitutes a drain-chamber 3 6 which..oommunicates with the..airrside end; otthesealj l2; between the .seal: and the". hearing. The lower, end" of this drain chamber SScQmmun'icateS with a drain-pipejl, which, leads to'tlieair-side seal-oildrainecons necition. 3.8;; externally of the bearing-bracket. 2: The. upiier. part of the drain-chamber, 3t isv enlai'ged mcienuy tdprovide. forat'least partially; aeioammg, the" Sealing-Oil therein, as it flows. dowdoyen-the walls. of thisj chamber into. the drain-pipe 31". As the rate of'flowof-the' seal-oil is. relatively ,slow, and. as the, recovery of; 61 trapiiedairitliei' omisflfiot particularly importaiit' ifi this D'DI 0119f .ithegenerm oileciroulating, andoil-treatineiit system (not shown). which is. commonly, provided, for. hydrogen-cooled machines,- this relatively smaILd'r'ain-cnamber. 35,1111 approiiiitiatelii. the. proportions. shown in the; drawings, is g'eherallyfsufficient toprovide the defoaming-tanker, cnamberpor. sump which is re:

, quiredlin' the air s'idesealoil. drainemeans or.

system.

It ,is .perhapsthe most important or. essential novel. feature-oi my. invention. that .I.. provide a; large}hydrognrdefoaming1 tank in the drain: means; for the. hydrogen-sidev endfof the .sealj I2; Accordingv to. my. inventloin. this. hydrogenrde'r foaming tank comprises all orthehollow' space 2.4 or the bearins-bracketi, except the. bearin oil. .deioaming-sump, or. compartment 29 which is. closed by" the shelf dihapartitibli 28.;and flieupper portion of the vertical partition-wall 2T? bearing-bracket 2.

artists 111% raves of'jthis liolldw ssacezaywnth as 'jsepai'ated y the vertical partition wall 21, Tar communication with each other, throughjj a large hole 40 iFig. 4) in the lower'portionof said vertical wall 21; as shownin' Figf il" Thishyd'romeans for this'hydrogen-deioaming tank 24"i's shown in the form of a bent'pipe 42 which ex:

j tends from a'point considerably beneath the oillevel 4| to the hydrogen-sidesealeoil' drai pessi st-mine frontfor oiitside n of he As will: be readily understood, and as shown in Figif'jthe upper'portion of the: bent drain pipe'fl is provided with "a vent to the gas filled'portion of the tank 24.

The communication between the upper, or gasfilled, portion of the hydrogen-defoaming tank -24 and'the-hydrogen-side of the seal I2 is indicated in Fig. 5, wherein it is shown that the bottom half of thegland-seal structure II is hollow; and a communicating-opening 45 is provided,- between the bottom of this hollow portion 'of'the gland-sealstructure n and the top ofthe 'hydrogen-defoaining tank 24, for the seal oil which escapes along the shaft from the hydro gen-side of the seal l2.

Fig. 5 also shows another feature, which is more particularly described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 574,547, filed January 25,1945, now Patent Number 2,470,664, whereby a labyrinth-seal 41 is provided, surrounding the shaft 9 at a point spaced from the inner end of the gland-seal structure, or the end toward the inside of the machine, this labyrinthseal being kept primed with oil, by means of a gooseneck which is provided with a pipe 48 having a small inlet-opening 49 in its top, and having an outlet-opening 50 in its side near its top, for pouring oil out into the hollow lower portion of the gland-seal structure ll. As explained in my copending application, just before the machine is first put into operation, when there may not be suflicient oil, or any oil, in the labyrinthseal 41, the oil-circulating means is started, and the oil which comes out of the hydrogen-side of the seal I2 is caught by an oil-separator 5| and directed down into the inlet-opening 49 at the top of the pipe 48 which connects to the bottom of the labyrinth-seal 41, thus filling said seal with oil, and preventing gas from flowing up through the drain-holes of the labyrinth and thus carrying oil through the seal.

In the operation of my present invention, it will be noted that I have accomplished the objeots set forth in the introductory portion of my description. The front or outside wall of the portion of my bearing-bracket which is beneath the bearing 4 is provided with two inlet-means l6 and 20, for the bearing-oil and the seal-oil, respectively; and it is also provided with three drain-connections 35, 38 and 43, for the bearingoil, the air-side seal-oil, and the hydrogen-side seal-oil, respectively. These drain-connections are adapted to be connected, externally of the bracket, to the general oil-pumping, oil-purification, and oil-cooling system (not shown), which is a known part of the equipment for hydrogencooled machines. It is to be noted that these connections are all disposed in positions which are readily accessible from above the floor-level M.

It will also be noted that I have provided a bearing bracket containing three separatef de foaming-chambers or tanks or sumps; 24,;2 9, and 36, which provide the necessarydefoaming functions for the hydrogen-side seal-oil, the 5 bearing-oil, and the air-side seal-oil,respectively. It is to be noted that thesevarious connections and defoaming-chambers or tanks are conveniently provided, in the bracket-structureitself, 'so thatthe bearing-bracket 2 is complet, with all of the necessary connections andtanks, which is in sharp contrastwith the practice whichhas heretofore become a standard for aiongperfiQd of years, thus saving a great deal in the way of the, cost and maintenance of several external drairifand'vent pipes outside of the bearingbracket; and also providing a construction in whichlthe necessary connections to which more brles sffreguent access must be had, are all rovidedinpositions which can be readily reached from above the floor-level l4. r It'isalso1to"benoted thatmy mountingof the hydrogenedefoaming tank 24 within an enlarged portion of the bearing br'acket' 2 provides a rneansfforat leastpartially'cooling the hydrogen-side sealing-oil, and to a less extent the drainage-oil from the bearing, this cooling-action being obtained from the hydrogen which is circulated within the machine, and which is kept cooled by the machine-coolers I, thus relieving some of the cooling-duty on the oil-coolers (not shown) which are commonly used in the oilcirculating system (not shown).

These several advantages are all obtained at a relatively small extra cost, with considerable space-saving, because the enlarged hollow portion of my end-bracket 2 occupies a space which was otherwise wasted. The cost of my bracketconstruction is slight, because it can be made from a combination of castings and welded-on slabs and other parts, as shown in the drawings, at only a relatively slight increase in cost, as compared with previous bracket-constructions.

While I have illustrated my invention in but a single exemplary form of embodiment, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited, in all of its details, to the particular configurations which are shown in the drawings, as many changes may be made, in the way of additions, omissions and the substitution of equivalents, without departing from the essential spirit of my invention. I desire, therefore, that the appended claims shall be given the broadest construction consistent with their language.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hydrogen-cooled machine having a substantially hermetically tight, hydrogen-filled housing including a substantially upright bearing-bracket, said bearing-bracket having a bearing-receiving opening therein, an oil-lubricated bearing disposed in said opening, a substantially horizontal, rotatable shaft extending through said bearing, a gland-seal structure secured to the inside of the bearing and bearing-bracket structure in position to provide a gland-seal surrounding the shaft at a point on the hydrogenside of the bearing, means for feeding lubricating-oil to said bearing, and means for feeding sealing-oil to said seal, said bearing-bracket having a structural shape, underneath the bearing, such as to provide a drain-means for the bearing-oil, a separate drain-means for the air-side sealing-oil, and a separate drain-means for the hydrogen-side sealing-oil, the hydrogen-side 

